Media Watch II: National

As well as the stories we found in the regional media (see Media Watch I), there was also some positive UK national media for female bodybuilding. Although it was picked up by other UK and foreign-based media sources, it should come as no surprise that it should be the female-muscle-friendly Daily Mail that ran the story originally.



Also probably no surprise that the subject of the piece, curvaceous blond student nurse Sarah-Louise Hawkins, is actually a bikini competitor rather than a "bodybuilder" as you or I would understand the term, but nevertheless, in the British media, you take what you can get as far as female muscle is concerned. So I, for one, ain't complaining, especially as Sarah-Louise has definitely got a bit of a Chelsea Hagan/Alyssa Loghran vibe going on - at least in the contest pics...



At her heaviest, the petite 5' 2" [1.57m] blonde tipped the scales at 12st 2lbs [170lbs, 77kg] and was a size 16 [oh, hell, I don't know, LARGE!], the article tells us. It's a weight loss story, albeit one that ends up competing in the UKBFF North-west this year. Sarah-Louise, we learn, struggled with her weight for many many years.

I battled with these fad diets, even in school. I was always looking for that quick fix - to see the scales move, all rubbish. It has taken me years of battling to accept that I don’t have the frame to be a skinny girl and I'm not built like catwalk models. I have thick thighs, a bum and abs. I've realized that I can use these attributes to my advantage and I've built something incredible with what I was born with.



Indeed. And particularly given she only joined a gym in March 2013, and at first, by her own admission, she had a few "hiccups" with the nutrition plan her trainers had outlined for her. I decided to get into shape after the usual scenario of seeing myself in holiday pictures and going into changing rooms and just feeling absolutely awful about myself, she says. But now, 15 months later, Sarah-Louise feels rather different. My muscles are nice and full, she says, and I feel strong and powerful.



The piece couldn't be any more positive, nor could it be any clearer in its message that diets don't work (some of the more "famous" diets Sarah-Louise had followed get named and shamed in fact), while weight training and a proper nutrition plan can transform "chubby" into an impressive "burly" physique. And, the article doesn't forget to show that as a result you can consign your self-esteem issues to history. In night clubs, I like to wear dresses that show off my toned physique. However, a few men have come up to me saying I'm too masculine or that girls shouldn't look like that, says Sarah-Louise. I'm happy knowing that I've done everything to become the best version of myself now. I don’t want to be average or just like everyone else any more. Standing out in the crowd is great. I hope I can inspire and help others in the future.



And the Mail also doesn't forget to mention that Sarah-Louise has achieved all this while doing 14-hour shifts as a student nurse. Leading up to my first competition in May, I was lucky enough to be working with some incredible nurses that let me sneak off for a quick break and shovel a bit of rice and chicken in my mouth! she tells us.



At that "first competition", Sarah-Louise didn't make it into the top placings and qualify for the British Championships. But although ultimately that is where she would like to be, where the judges rank you is by no means the only way of judging your success as a bodybuilder. I had to really push myself to get up on that stage in next to nothing. I still can’t believe I achieved that, neither can the chubby child in my head still, she says. But once I was up there, I told myself, enjoy this moment!



FMS hopes that the Mail will continue its sterling efforts in the promotion of weight training for women (and the dissing of fraudulent diet plans to boot). But we also very much hope that Sarah-Louise will be enjoying the moment on stage again before long, because we will certainly be enjoying her enjoying it (really, Chelsea Hagan/Alyssa Loghran vibe, don't you think?). With her obvious dedication and her mouth-watering looks, we doubt that it will be very long before Sarah-Louise does make it to the national finals, or that with her natural thickness and curves she will make a move into a more muscular category and be extremely successful there.

I honestly think the Daily Mail may have uncovered a little future British star here.

Big thanks to Aiden for the heads up.

Enjoy!